When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record

• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete.
• We may say “no” to your request. but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications

• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (home, ceII, office phone) or mail.
• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

Treatment

• We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. (Example. A doctor treating you asks another doctor about your overall health condition.)

Run our organization

• We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you. (Example: we use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.)

Bill for your services

• We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans, grants or other entities.

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We must meet many law conditions before we can share your information for these purposes.

Help with public health and safety issues

We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:

• Preventing disease
• Helping with product recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone‘s health or safety

Do research

• We can use or share your information for health research.

Comply with the law

• We will share information about you if State or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

We can use or share health information about you:

• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

We can share your health information in response to a court or other order, or in response to a subpoena.

Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach of the privacy or security of your information occurs
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.

We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information

• You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
• We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for an accounting of disclosures.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you

• If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
• We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

 

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights or ask questions by contacting our Privacy and Security Officer: Baba Kaloga (301) 772 0103 X108 or via email at Kaloga@hearttohandinc.org.
• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions. In these cases, you have both the right and choice to:

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
• Share information in a disaster relief situation

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases, we never share your information unless you give us written permission:

• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
• Substance abuse treatment records

 In the case of fundraising, we may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

We typically use or share your health information in the following ways:

• In public health databases required by our funders
• Vendor portals to support treatment and record keeping

You may ask for a complete list of databases where your information is stored.